Iddy-biddy DiGiacomo stands tall

KID PROFILE: Tiny player reaches regional level

Published: Tuesday, February 26, 2013 at 1:00 a.m.

Last Modified: Monday, February 25, 2013 at 9:08 p.m.

Ellie DiGiacomo poses with some of the awards she has won while qualifying
for regional competition in the Elks National Hoops Shoot.COURTESY PHOTO

Ellie DiGiacomo's father described her as a "tiny little thing," while her mother selected the term "iddy-biddy."

Parents Joe and Liz DiGiacomo are both dead-on accurate when it comes to describing all 4 feet, 61/2 inches of their 9-year-old daughter.

Yet Ellie still manages to stand tall on the basketball court, regardless of what the yardstick reveals.

Ellie is bound for Valdosta, Ga., next month as part of the regional competition of the annual Elks National Hoop Shoot, a free throw shooting contest divided into three age groups for children ages 8-13.

The young DiGiacomo qualified for the Georgia competition by virtue of claiming the Florida state championship recently in the 8-9-year-old division. She connected on 21 of her 25 attempts at the foul line in Umatilla to earn the state crown.

Ellie's first title came at Garden Elementary School in Venice. From there, it was onto the State College of Florida, where she earned the local title by making 18 of her 25 shots from the foul line, and then a trip to Lake Placid where she captured the district championship.

"I get a lot more nervous than she does," Liz DiGiacomo said. "She's calm, while I'm up in the stands a nervous wreck."

Liz was not able to attend the state tournament due to being in a wedding the same day. However, she managed to stay abreast of Ellie's progress in Umatilla via some sneaky use of a cell phone.

"Sometimes I think she could dribble before she could crawl," Liz DiGiacomo said. "She's been playing since she was iddy-biddy."

Ellie's interest in basketball comes naturally, considering Joe DiGiacomo is a longtime basketball coach who led the girls team from Venice High to the State Final Four in 2005 and currently coaches the girls team at Pine View School.

The way he introduced Ellie to shooting free throws deserves consideration from other parents with aspiring young players.

"I always had her shoot at a lower basket," Joe DiGiacomo said. "That way she could work on her form.

"She's a tiny girl. I don't want her throwing it up there instead of shooting it."

If Ellie manages another victory in Valdosta, she would qualify for the national tournament to be held in Springfield, Mass.

<p>VENICE</p><p>Ellie DiGiacomo's father described her as a "tiny little thing," while her mother selected the term "iddy-biddy."</p><p>Parents Joe and Liz DiGiacomo are both dead-on accurate when it comes to describing all 4 feet, 61/2 inches of their 9-year-old daughter.</p><p>Yet Ellie still manages to stand tall on the basketball court, regardless of what the yardstick reveals.</p><p>Ellie is bound for Valdosta, Ga., next month as part of the regional competition of the annual Elks National Hoop Shoot, a free throw shooting contest divided into three age groups for children ages 8-13.</p><p>The young DiGiacomo qualified for the Georgia competition by virtue of claiming the Florida state championship recently in the 8-9-year-old division. She connected on 21 of her 25 attempts at the foul line in Umatilla to earn the state crown.</p><p>Ellie's first title came at Garden Elementary School in Venice. From there, it was onto the State College of Florida, where she earned the local title by making 18 of her 25 shots from the foul line, and then a trip to Lake Placid where she captured the district championship.</p><p>"I get a lot more nervous than she does," Liz DiGiacomo said. "She's calm, while I'm up in the stands a nervous wreck."</p><p>Liz was not able to attend the state tournament due to being in a wedding the same day. However, she managed to stay abreast of Ellie's progress in Umatilla via some sneaky use of a cell phone.</p><p>"Sometimes I think she could dribble before she could crawl," Liz DiGiacomo said. "She's been playing since she was iddy-biddy."</p><p>Ellie's interest in basketball comes naturally, considering Joe DiGiacomo is a longtime basketball coach who led the girls team from Venice High to the State Final Four in 2005 and currently coaches the girls team at Pine View School.</p><p>The way he introduced Ellie to shooting free throws deserves consideration from other parents with aspiring young players.</p><p>"I always had her shoot at a lower basket," Joe DiGiacomo said. "That way she could work on her form.</p><p>"She's a tiny girl. I don't want her throwing it up there instead of shooting it."</p><p>If Ellie manages another victory in Valdosta, she would qualify for the national tournament to be held in Springfield, Mass.</p>